A Descent into Dullness

Starman Omnibus, vol. 1
Written by James Robinson, Pencils by Tony Harris, Inks by Wade Von Grawbadger, Colors and Letters by various

It seems appropiate to have this collection get focused on today. Because one of the underlying themes of the entire series is fathers. Jack and Ted. The Mist and his two children. The O'Dare clan and the influence their father had on them. Throughout the run of this book the theme shows up...

For those unfamiliar with Robinson's Starman, its the tale of a second generation hero, Jack Knight. Jack's father Ted was the first Starman, though there were several others in between Ted's WWII adventures and Jack taking up the mantle. Will Payton, the alien warrior Mikaal, alien Prince Gavyn. Even Jack's older brother David. In fact this first volume opens with David's assassination at the hands of the Mist's son Kyle. The Mist had been one of Ted's oldest foes. And in his twillight days he attempts to destroy his rival and all his works. But the attempt to kill Jack pushes him into taking up Starman's Cosmic Rod...

While everyone else was spending the 90s trying to copy the worst excesses of Image, Starman set a different tone. With its gorgeous and fleshed out Opal City. With its expanded DCU history. And with its way of making bad guys into good guys...

Because just as much as the long term story was about the Starman legacy of the Knight family, it was also about the evolution of golden age villain the Shade into hero. And with these new omnibus editions all that will be seen. In this volume and the five to follow will be every issue and every story. Annuals, one-shots, mini series. Everything. Which explains, other than the fact that the thing is just amazing, why I'm buying this series for a third time...